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Ge X, Zhou H, Shen F, Yang G, Zhang Y, Zhang X, Li H. SARS-CoV-2 subgenomic RNA: formation process and rapid molecular diagnostic methods. Clin Chem Lab Med 2024; 62:1019-1028. [PMID: 38000044 DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2023-0846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which caused coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is spreading worldwide and posing enormous losses to human health and socio-economic. Due to the limitations of medical and health conditions, it is still a huge challenge to develop appropriate discharge standards for patients with COVID-19 and to use medical resources in a timely and effective manner. Similar to other coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 has a very complex discontinuous transcription process to generate subgenomic RNA (sgRNA). Some studies support that sgRNA of SARS-CoV-2 can only exist when the virus is active and is an indicator of virus replication. The results of sgRNA detection in patients can be used to evaluate the condition of hospitalized patients, which is expected to save medical resources, especially personal protective equipment. There have been numerous investigations using different methods, especially molecular methods to detect sgRNA. Here, we introduce the process of SARS-CoV-2 sgRNA formation and the commonly used molecular diagnostic methods to bring a new idea for clinical detection in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Ge
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, P.R. China
| | - Huizi Zhou
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, P.R. China
| | - Fangyuan Shen
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, P.R. China
| | - Guimao Yang
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, P.R. China
| | - Yubo Zhang
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoyu Zhang
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, P.R. China
| | - Heng Li
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, P.R. China
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2
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Valleriani F, Di Pancrazio C, Spedicato M, Di Teodoro G, Malatesta D, Petrova T, Profeta F, Colaianni ML, Berjaoui S, Puglia I, Caporale M, Rossi E, Marcacci M, Luciani M, Sacchini F, Portanti O, Bencivenga F, Decaro N, Bonfante F, Lorusso A. A cell-adapted SARS-CoV-2 mutant, showing a deletion in the spike protein spanning the furin cleavage site, has reduced virulence at the lung level in K18-hACE2 mice. Virology 2024; 592:109997. [PMID: 38324940 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2024.109997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Here we investigated the virulence properties of a unique cell-adapted SARS-CoV-2 mutant showing a ten-amino acid deletion encompassing the furin cleavage site of the spike protein (Δ680SPRAARSVAS689; Δ680-689-B.1) in comparison to its parental strain (wt-B.1) and two Delta variants (AY.122 and AY.21) of concern. After intranasal inoculation, transgenic K18-hACE2 mice were monitored for 14 days for weight change, lethality, and clinical score; oral swabs were daily collected and tested for the presence of N protein subgenomic RNA. At 3 and 7 dpi mice were also sacrificed and organs collected for molecular, histopathological, and immune response profile investigations. The Δ680-689-B.1-infected mice exhibited reduced shedding, lower virulence at the lung level, and milder pulmonary lesions. In the lung, infection with Δ680-689-B.1 was associated with a significant lower expression of some cytokines at 3 dpi (IL-4, IL-27, and IL-28) and 7 dpi (IL-4, IL-27, IL-28, IFN-γ and IL-1α).
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizia Valleriani
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e Molise (IZSAM), Teramo-Italy; IZSVe-IZSAM Joint FAO Reference Centre for Zoonotic Coronaviruses, Italy
| | - Chiara Di Pancrazio
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e Molise (IZSAM), Teramo-Italy; IZSVe-IZSAM Joint FAO Reference Centre for Zoonotic Coronaviruses, Italy
| | - Massimo Spedicato
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e Molise (IZSAM), Teramo-Italy; IZSVe-IZSAM Joint FAO Reference Centre for Zoonotic Coronaviruses, Italy
| | - Giovanni Di Teodoro
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e Molise (IZSAM), Teramo-Italy; IZSVe-IZSAM Joint FAO Reference Centre for Zoonotic Coronaviruses, Italy
| | - Daniela Malatesta
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e Molise (IZSAM), Teramo-Italy; IZSVe-IZSAM Joint FAO Reference Centre for Zoonotic Coronaviruses, Italy
| | - Tetyana Petrova
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e Molise (IZSAM), Teramo-Italy; IZSVe-IZSAM Joint FAO Reference Centre for Zoonotic Coronaviruses, Italy
| | - Francesca Profeta
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e Molise (IZSAM), Teramo-Italy; IZSVe-IZSAM Joint FAO Reference Centre for Zoonotic Coronaviruses, Italy
| | | | - Shadia Berjaoui
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e Molise (IZSAM), Teramo-Italy; IZSVe-IZSAM Joint FAO Reference Centre for Zoonotic Coronaviruses, Italy
| | - Ilaria Puglia
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e Molise (IZSAM), Teramo-Italy; IZSVe-IZSAM Joint FAO Reference Centre for Zoonotic Coronaviruses, Italy
| | - Marialuigia Caporale
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e Molise (IZSAM), Teramo-Italy; IZSVe-IZSAM Joint FAO Reference Centre for Zoonotic Coronaviruses, Italy
| | - Emanuela Rossi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e Molise (IZSAM), Teramo-Italy; IZSVe-IZSAM Joint FAO Reference Centre for Zoonotic Coronaviruses, Italy
| | - Maurilia Marcacci
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e Molise (IZSAM), Teramo-Italy; IZSVe-IZSAM Joint FAO Reference Centre for Zoonotic Coronaviruses, Italy
| | - Mirella Luciani
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e Molise (IZSAM), Teramo-Italy; IZSVe-IZSAM Joint FAO Reference Centre for Zoonotic Coronaviruses, Italy
| | - Flavio Sacchini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e Molise (IZSAM), Teramo-Italy; IZSVe-IZSAM Joint FAO Reference Centre for Zoonotic Coronaviruses, Italy
| | - Ottavio Portanti
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e Molise (IZSAM), Teramo-Italy; IZSVe-IZSAM Joint FAO Reference Centre for Zoonotic Coronaviruses, Italy
| | | | - Nicola Decaro
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano-Italy
| | - Francesco Bonfante
- IZSVe-IZSAM Joint FAO Reference Centre for Zoonotic Coronaviruses, Italy; Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe), Legnaro-Italy
| | - Alessio Lorusso
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e Molise (IZSAM), Teramo-Italy; IZSVe-IZSAM Joint FAO Reference Centre for Zoonotic Coronaviruses, Italy.
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3
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Lavezzari D, Mori A, Pomari E, Deiana M, Fadda A, Bertoli L, Sinigaglia A, Riccetti S, Barzon L, Piubelli C, Delledonne M, Capobianchi MR, Castilletti C. Comparative analysis of bioinformatics tools to characterize SARS-CoV-2 subgenomic RNAs. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202302017. [PMID: 37748810 PMCID: PMC10520259 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202302017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
During the replication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), positive-sense genomic RNA and subgenomic RNAs (sgRNAs) are synthesized by a discontinuous process of transcription characterized by a template switch, regulated by transcription-regulating sequences (TRS). Although poorly known about makeup and dynamics of sgRNAs population and function of its constituents, next-generation sequencing approaches with the help of bioinformatics tools have made a significant contribution to expand the knowledge of sgRNAs in SARS-CoV-2. For this scope to date, Periscope, LeTRS, sgDI-tector, and CORONATATOR have been developed. However, limited number of studies are available to compare the performance of such tools. To this purpose, we compared Periscope, LeTRS, and sgDI-tector in the identification of canonical (c-) and noncanonical (nc-) sgRNA species in the data obtained with the Illumina ARTIC sequencing protocol applied to SARS-CoV-2-infected Caco-2 cells, sampled at different time points. The three software showed a high concordance rate in the identification and in the quantification of c-sgRNA, whereas more differences were observed in nc-sgRNA. Overall, LeTRS and sgDI-tector result to be adequate alternatives to Periscope to analyze Fastq data from sequencing platforms other than Nanopore.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Lavezzari
- Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Verona, Italy
| | - Antonio Mori
- Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Verona, Italy
| | - Elena Pomari
- Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Verona, Italy
| | - Michela Deiana
- Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Verona, Italy
| | - Antonio Fadda
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Luca Bertoli
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | | | - Silvia Riccetti
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Luisa Barzon
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Chiara Piubelli
- Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Verona, Italy
| | | | - Maria Rosaria Capobianchi
- Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Verona, Italy
| | - Concetta Castilletti
- Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Verona, Italy
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4
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Scutari R, Renica S, Cento V, Nava A, Sammartino JC, Ferrari A, Pani A, Merli M, Fanti D, Vismara C, Scaglione F, Puoti M, Bandera A, Gori A, Piralla A, Baldanti F, Perno CF, Alteri C. Quantitative SARS-CoV-2 subgenomic RNA as a surrogate marker for viral infectivity: Comparison between culture isolation and direct sgRNA quantification. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0291120. [PMID: 37656746 PMCID: PMC10473502 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Detection of subgenomic (sg) SARS-CoV-2 RNAs are frequently used as a correlate of viral infectiousness, but few data about correlation between sg load and viable virus are available. Here, we defined concordance between culture isolation and E and N sgRNA quantification by ddPCR assays in 51 nasopharyngeal swabs collected from SARS-CoV-2 positive hospitalized patients. Among the 51 samples, 14 were SARS-CoV-2 culture-positive and 37 were negative. According to culture results, the sensitivity and specificity of E and N sgRNA assays were 100% and 100%, and 84% and 86%, respectively. ROC analysis showed that the best E and N cut-offs to predict positive culture isolation were 32 and 161 copies/mL respectively, with an AUC (95% CI) of 0.96 (0.91-1.00) and 0.96 (0.92-1.00), and a diagnostic accuracy of 88% and 92%, respectively. Even if no significant correlations were observed between sgRNA amount and clinical presentation, a higher number of moderate/severe cases and lower number of days from symptoms onset characterized patients with sgRNA equal to or higher than sgRNA cut-offs. Overall, this study suggests that SARS-CoV-2 sgRNA quantification could be helpful to estimate the replicative activity of SARS-CoV-2 and can represent a valid surrogate marker to efficiently recognize patients with active infection. The inclusion of this assay in available SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics procedure might help in optimizing fragile patients monitoring and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rossana Scutari
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Multimodal Research Area, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Renica
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Valeria Cento
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy
- IRCSS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Alice Nava
- Chemical-Clinical and Microbiological Analysis, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Alessandro Ferrari
- Microbiology and Virology Department, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Arianna Pani
- Chemical-Clinical and Microbiological Analysis, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Merli
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Azienda Socio-Sanitaria Territoriale (ASST) Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy
| | - Diana Fanti
- Chemical-Clinical and Microbiological Analysis, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Vismara
- Chemical-Clinical and Microbiological Analysis, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Scaglione
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Chemical-Clinical and Microbiological Analysis, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy
| | - Massimo Puoti
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Azienda Socio-Sanitaria Territoriale (ASST) Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandra Bandera
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Gori
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonio Piralla
- Microbiology and Virology Department, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Fausto Baldanti
- Microbiology and Virology Department, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Clinical, Surgical, Diagnostic and Pediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Claudia Alteri
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Multimodal Research Area, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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5
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Yang Y, Feng X, Pan Y, Wang X, Peng T, Niu C, Qu W, Zou Q, Dong L, Dai X, Li M, Fang X. A culture-free method for rapidly and accurately quantifying active SARS-CoV-2. Anal Bioanal Chem 2023; 415:5745-5753. [PMID: 37486370 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-023-04855-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Determining the quantity of active virus is the most important basis to judge the risk of virus infection, which usually relies on the virus median tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50) assay performed in a biosafety level 3 laboratory within 5-7 days. We have developed a culture-free method for rapid and accurate quantification of active severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by targeting subgenomic RNA (sgRNA) based on reverse transcription digital PCR (RT-dPCR). The dynamic range of quantitative assays for sgRNA-N and sgRNA-E by RT-dPCR was investigated, and the result showed that the limits of detection (LoD) and quantification (LoQ) were 2 copies/reaction and 10 copies/reaction, respectively. The delta strain (NMDC60042793) of SARS-CoV-2 was cultured at an average titer of 106.13 TCID50/mL and used to evaluate the developed quantification method. Copy number concentrations of the cultured SARS-CoV-2 sgRNA and genomic RNA (gRNA) gave excellent linearity (R2 = 0.9999) with SARS-CoV-2 titers in the range from 500 to 105 TCID50/mL. Validation of 63 positive clinical samples further proves that the quantification of sgRNA-N by RT-dPCR is more sensitive for active virus quantitative detection. It is notable that we can infer the active virus titer through quantification of SARS-CoV-2 sgRNA based on the linear relationship in a biosafety level 2 laboratory within 3 h. It can be used to timely and effectively identify infectious patients and reduce unnecessary isolation especially when a large number of COVID-19 infected people impose a burden on medical resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Yang
- Center for Advanced Measurement of Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing, 100029, China
- Shenzhen Institute for Technology Innovation, National Institute of Metrology, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Xiaoli Feng
- Kunming National High-Level Biosafety Research Center for Non-Human Primates, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650107, Yunnan, China
| | - Yang Pan
- Institute for Infectious Disease and Endemic Disease Control, Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Xia Wang
- Center for Advanced Measurement of Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Tao Peng
- Center for Advanced Measurement of Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Chunyan Niu
- Center for Advanced Measurement of Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Wang Qu
- Shenzhen Institute for Technology Innovation, National Institute of Metrology, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Qingcui Zou
- Shenzhen Institute for Technology Innovation, National Institute of Metrology, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Lianhua Dong
- Center for Advanced Measurement of Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing, 100029, China.
| | - Xinhua Dai
- Center for Advanced Measurement of Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing, 100029, China.
| | - Minghua Li
- Shenzhen Institute for Technology Innovation, National Institute of Metrology, Shenzhen, 518107, China.
| | - Xiang Fang
- Center for Advanced Measurement of Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing, 100029, China.
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Hwang HS, Lo CM, Murphy M, Grudda T, Gallagher N, Luo CH, Robinson ML, Mirza A, Conte M, Conte A, Zhou R, Vergara C, Brooke CB, Pekosz A, Mostafa HH, Manabe YC, Thio CL, Balagopal A. Characterizing SARS-CoV-2 Transcription of Subgenomic and Genomic RNAs During Early Human Infection Using Multiplexed Droplet Digital Polymerase Chain Reaction. J Infect Dis 2023; 227:981-992. [PMID: 36468309 PMCID: PMC10319975 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Control of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission requires understanding SARS-CoV-2 replication dynamics. METHODS We developed a multiplexed droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) assay to quantify SARS-CoV-2 subgenomic RNAs (sgRNAs), which are only produced during active viral replication, and discriminate them from genomic RNAs (gRNAs). We applied the assay to specimens from 144 people with single nasopharyngeal samples and 27 people with >1 sample. Results were compared to quantitative PCR (qPCR) and viral culture. RESULTS sgRNAs were quantifiable across a range of qPCR cycle threshold (Ct) values and correlated with Ct values. The ratio sgRNA:gRNA was stable across a wide range of Ct values, whereas adjusted amounts of N sgRNA to a human housekeeping gene declined with higher Ct values. Adjusted sgRNA and gRNA amounts were quantifiable in culture-negative samples, although levels were significantly lower than in culture-positive samples. Daily testing of 6 persons revealed that sgRNA is concordant with culture results during the first week of infection but may be discordant with culture later in infection. sgRNA:gRNA is constant during infection despite changes in viral culture. CONCLUSIONS Ct values from qPCR correlate with active viral replication. More work is needed to understand why some cultures are negative despite presence of sgRNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyon S Hwang
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Che-Min Lo
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Michael Murphy
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Tanner Grudda
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Nicholas Gallagher
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Chun Huai Luo
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Matthew L Robinson
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Agha Mirza
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Madison Conte
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Abigail Conte
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Ruifeng Zhou
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Candelaria Vergara
- Department of Microbiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Christopher B Brooke
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Andrew Pekosz
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Heba H Mostafa
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Yukari C Manabe
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Chloe L Thio
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Ashwin Balagopal
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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7
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Mori A, Lavezzari D, Pomari E, Deiana M, Piubelli C, Capobianchi MR, Castilletti C. sgRNAs: A SARS-CoV-2 emerging issue. ASPECTS OF MOLECULAR MEDICINE 2023; 1:100008. [PMID: 37519862 PMCID: PMC10105645 DOI: 10.1016/j.amolm.2023.100008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Like for other coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 gene expression strategy is based on the synthesis of a nested set of subgenomic mRNA species (sgRNAs). These sgRNA are synthesized using a "discontinuous transcription" mechanism that relies on template switching at Transcription Regulatory Sequences (TRS). Both canonical (c-sgRNA) and non-canonical (nc-sgRNA, less numerous) subgenomic RNA species can be produced. Currently, sgRNAs are investigated on the basis of sequence data obtained through next generation sequencing (NGS), and bioinformatic tools are crucial for their identification, characterization and quantification. To date, few software have been developed to this aim, whose reliability and applicability to all the available NGS platforms need to be established, to build confidence on the information resulting from such tools. In fact, these information may be crucial for the in depth elucidation of viral expression strategy, particularly in respect of the significance of nc-sgRNAs, and for the possible use of sgRNAs as potential markers of virus replicative activity in infected patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Mori
- Department of Infectious, Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar di Valpolicella, 37024, Verona, Italy
| | - Denise Lavezzari
- Department of Infectious, Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar di Valpolicella, 37024, Verona, Italy
| | - Elena Pomari
- Department of Infectious, Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar di Valpolicella, 37024, Verona, Italy
| | - Michela Deiana
- Department of Infectious, Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar di Valpolicella, 37024, Verona, Italy
| | - Chiara Piubelli
- Department of Infectious, Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar di Valpolicella, 37024, Verona, Italy
| | - Maria Rosaria Capobianchi
- Department of Infectious, Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar di Valpolicella, 37024, Verona, Italy
| | - Concetta Castilletti
- Department of Infectious, Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar di Valpolicella, 37024, Verona, Italy
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8
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Morón-López S, Riveira-Muñoz E, Urrea V, Gutiérrez-Chamorro L, Ávila-Nieto C, Noguera-Julian M, Carrillo J, Mitjà O, Mateu L, Massanella M, Ballana E, Martinez-Picado J. Comparison of Reverse Transcription (RT)-Quantitative PCR and RT-Droplet Digital PCR for Detection of Genomic and Subgenomic SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0415922. [PMID: 36943067 PMCID: PMC10100669 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04159-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Most individuals acutely infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) exhibit mild symptoms. However, 10 to 20% of those infected develop long-term symptoms, referred to as post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) condition (PCC). One hypothesis is that PCC might be exacerbated by viral persistence in tissue sanctuaries. Therefore, the accurate detection and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 are not only necessary for viral load monitoring but also crucial for detecting long-term viral persistence and determining whether viral replication is occurring in tissue reservoirs. In this study, the sensitivity and robustness of reverse transcription (RT)-droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) and RT-quantitative PCR (qPCR) techniques have been compared for the detection and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 genomic and subgenomic RNAs from oropharyngeal swabs taken from confirmed SARS-CoV-2-positive, SARS-CoV-2-exposed, and nonexposed individuals as well as from samples from mice infected with SARS-CoV-2. Our data demonstrated that both techniques presented equivalent results in the mid- and high-viral-load ranges. Additionally, RT-ddPCR was more sensitive than RT-qPCR in the low-viral-load range, allowing the accurate detection of positive results in individuals exposed to the virus. Overall, these data suggest that RT-ddPCR might be an alternative to RT-qPCR for detecting low viral loads in samples and for assessing viral persistence in samples from individuals with PCC. IMPORTANCE We developed one-step reverse transcription (RT)-droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) protocols to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA and compared them to the gold-standard RT-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) method. RT-ddPCR was more sensitive than RT-qPCR in the low-viral-load range, while both techniques were equivalent in the mid- and high-viral-load ranges. Overall, these results suggest that RT-ddPCR might be a viable alternative to RT-qPCR when it comes to detecting low viral loads in samples, which is a highly relevant issue for determining viral persistence in as-yet-unknown tissue reservoirs in individuals suffering from post-COVID conditions or long COVID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Morón-López
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Badalona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Victor Urrea
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Badalona, Spain
| | | | | | - Marc Noguera-Julian
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Badalona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge Carrillo
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Badalona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Madrid, Spain
- Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Badalona, Spain
| | - Oriol Mitjà
- Fight Infections Foundation, Badalona, Spain
- Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
- University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
- Lihir Medical Centre, International SOS, Londolovit, Lihir Island, Papua New Guinea
| | - Lourdes Mateu
- Fight Infections Foundation, Badalona, Spain
- Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
- University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
- Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Massanella
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Badalona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Madrid, Spain
- University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
| | - Ester Ballana
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Badalona, Spain
- Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Badalona, Spain
| | - Javier Martinez-Picado
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Badalona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Madrid, Spain
- Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Badalona, Spain
- University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
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9
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Strati A, Zavridou M, Paraskevis D, Magiorkinis G, Sapounas S, Lagiou P, Thomaidis NS, Lianidou ES. Development and Analytical Validation of a One-Step Five-Plex RT-ddPCR Assay for the Quantification of SARS-CoV-2 Transcripts in Clinical Samples. Anal Chem 2022; 94:12314-12322. [PMID: 35960711 PMCID: PMC9397566 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c00868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Highly sensitive methodologies for SARS-CoV-2 detection are essential for the control of COVID-19 pandemic. We developed and analytically validated a highly sensitive and specific five-plex one-step RT-ddPCR assay for SARS-CoV-2. We first designed in-silico novel primers and probes for the simultaneous absolute quantification of three different regions of the nucleoprotein (N) gene of SARS-CoV-2 (N1, N2, N3), a synthetic RNA as an external control (RNA-EC), and Beta-2-Microglobulin (B2M) as an endogenous RNA internal control (RNA-IC). The developed assay was analytically validated using synthetic DNA and RNA calibrator standards and then was applied to 100 clinical specimens previously analyzed with a commercially available CE-IVD RT-qPCR assay. The analytical validation of the developed assay resulted in very good performance characteristics in terms of analytical sensitivity, linearity, analytical specificity, and reproducibility and recovery rates even at very low viral concentrations. The simultaneous absolute quantification of the RNA-EC and RNA-IC provides the necessary metrics for quality control assessment. Direct comparison of the developed one-step five-plex RT-ddPCR assay with a CE-IVD RT-qPCR kit revealed a very high concordance and a higher sensitivity [concordance: 99/100 (99.0%, Spearman's correlation coefficient: -0.850, p < 0.001)]. The developed assay is highly sensitive, specific, and reproducible and has a broad linear dynamic range, providing absolute quantification of SARS-COV-2 transcripts. The inclusion of two RNA quality controls, an external and an internal, is highly important for standardization of SARS-COV-2 molecular testing in clinical and wastewater samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Areti Strati
- Lab of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry,
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens,
Greece
| | - Martha Zavridou
- Lab of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry,
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens,
Greece
| | - Dimitrios Paraskevis
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical
Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of
Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Gkikas Magiorkinis
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical
Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of
Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | | | - Pagona Lagiou
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical
Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of
Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos S. Thomaidis
- Lab of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry,
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens,
Greece
| | - Evi S. Lianidou
- Lab of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry,
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens,
Greece
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10
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Li H, Zhao X, Li J, Zheng H, Zhao Y, Yang J, Zhou J, Yang F, Chen Y, Zuo Y, Lai Q, Long H, Li Y, Jin W, Shi H, Liu L. Nasal Mucosa Exploited by SARS-CoV-2 for Replicating and Shedding during Reinfection. Viruses 2022; 14:v14081608. [PMID: 35893674 PMCID: PMC9394478 DOI: 10.3390/v14081608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Reinfection risk is a great concern with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic because a large proportion of the population has recovered from an initial infection, and previous reports found that primary exposure to SARS-CoV-2 protects against reinfection in rhesus macaques without viral presence and pathological injury; however, a high possibility for reinfection at the current stage of the pandemic has been proven. We found the reinfection of SARS-CoV-2 in Syrian hamsters with continuous viral shedding in the upper respiratory tracts and few injuries in the lung, and nasal mucosa was exploited by SARS-CoV-2 for replication and shedding during reinfection; meanwhile, no viral replication or enhanced damage was observed in the lower respiratory tracts. Consistent with the mild phenotype in the reinfection, increases in mRNA levels in cytokines and chemokines in the nasal mucosa but only slight increases in the lung were found. Notably, the high levels of neutralizing antibodies in serum could not prevent reinfection in hamsters but may play roles in benefitting the lung recovery and symptom relief of COVID-19. In summary, Syrian hamsters could be reinfected by SARS-CoV-2 with mild symptoms but with obvious viral shedding and replication, and both convalescent and vaccinated patients should be wary of the transmission and reinfection of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Longding Liu
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-871-6833-5905; Fax: +86-871-6833-4483
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11
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Toppings NB, Oberding LK, Lin YC, Evans D, Pillai DR. The Role of Subgenomic RNA in Discordant Results From Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction Tests for COVID-19. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2022; 146:805-813. [PMID: 35380615 DOI: 10.5858/arpa.2021-0630-sa] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT.— Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is the standard method of diagnosing COVID-19. An inconclusive test result occurs when 1 RT-PCR target is positive for SARS-CoV-2 and 1 RT-PCR target is negative for SARS-CoV-2 within the same sample. An inconclusive result generally requires retesting. One reason why a sample may yield an inconclusive result is that one target is at a higher concentration than another target. OBJECTIVE.— To understand the role of subgenomic RNA transcripts in discordant results from RT-PCR tests for COVID-19. DESIGN.— A panel of 6 droplet digital PCR assays was designed to quantify the ORF1, E-gene, and N-gene of SARS-CoV-2. This panel was used to quantify viral cultures of SARS-CoV-2 that were harvested during the eclipse phase and at peak infectivity. Eleven clinical nasopharyngeal swabs were also tested with this panel. RESULTS.— In culture, infected cells showed higher N-gene/ORF1 copy ratios than culture supernatants. The same trends in the relative abundance of copies across different targets observed in infected cells were observed in clinical samples, although trends were more pronounced in infected cells. CONCLUSIONS.— This study showed that a greater copy number of N-gene relative to E-gene and ORF1 transcripts could potentially explain inconclusive results for some RT-PCR tests on low viral load samples. The use of N-gene RT-PCR target(s) as opposed to ORF1 targets for routine testing is supported by these data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah B Toppings
- From the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases (Toppings, Pillai), University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Lisa K Oberding
- From the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (Oberding, Pillai), University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Yi-Chan Lin
- From the Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology and Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (Lin, Evans)
| | - David Evans
- From the Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology and Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (Lin, Evans)
| | - Dylan R Pillai
- From the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases (Toppings, Pillai), University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,From the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (Oberding, Pillai), University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,From the Clinical Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine (Pillai), University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,From the Clinical Section of Microbiology, Alberta Precision Laboratories, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (Pillai)
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12
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SARS-CoV-2 Whole-Genome Sequencing by Ion S5 Technology—Challenges, Protocol Optimization and Success Rates for Different Strains. Viruses 2022; 14:v14061230. [PMID: 35746701 PMCID: PMC9227152 DOI: 10.3390/v14061230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated how rapidly various molecular methods can be adapted for a Public Health Emergency. Whether a need arises for whole-genome studies (next-generation sequencing), fast and high-throughput diagnostics (reverse-transcription real-time PCR) or global immunization (construction of mRNA or viral vector vaccines), the scientific community has been able to answer all these calls. In this study, we aimed at the assessment of effectiveness of the commercially available solution for full-genome SARS-CoV-2 sequencing (AmpliSeq™ SARS-CoV-2 Research Panel and Ion AmpliSeq™ Library Kit Plus, Thermo Fisher Scientific). The study is based on 634 samples obtained from patients from Poland, with varying viral load, assigned to a number of lineages. Here, we also present the results of protocol modifications implemented to obtain high-quality genomic data. We found that a modified library preparation protocol required less viral RNA input in order to obtain the optimal library quantity. Concurrently, neither concentration of cDNA nor reamplification of libraries from low-template samples improved the results of sequencing. On the basis of the amplicon success rates, we propose one amplicon to be redesigned, namely, the r1_1.15.1421280, for which less than 50 reads were produced by 44% of samples. Additionally, we found several mutations within different SARS-CoV-2 lineages that cause the neighboring amplicons to underperform. Therefore, due to constant SARS-CoV-2 evolution, we support the idea of conducting ongoing sequence-based surveillance studies to continuously validate commercially available RT-PCR and whole-genome sequencing solutions.
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13
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Oberemok VV, Andreeva OA, Laikova KV, Novikov IA, Puzanova YV, Kubyshkin AV. Anti-coronavirus vaccines will not accelerate the transition of humanity to a non-pandemic period, but the pandemic will take fewer victims. Inflamm Res 2022; 71:521-536. [PMID: 35397666 PMCID: PMC8994861 DOI: 10.1007/s00011-022-01567-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The vaccination rate worldwide has reached enormous proportions, and it is likely that at least 75% of the world's population will be vaccinated. The controversy is that, while people aged 65 and older suffer a significantly higher mortality rate from COVID-19, plans are being made to vaccinate young people under the age of 20. Equally thorny is the question of vaccinating people who already have antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, as well as B and T memory cells, because they contracted and survived the virus. The possible consequences of large-scale vaccination are difficult to predict, when some people do not have access to the vaccine at all and others have already received 3 doses of the vaccine. SARS-CoV-2 will circulate through the human population forever and continue to mutate, as viruses do. Therefore, in the coming years, the need to develop and use effective vaccines and medicines for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 will remain urgent in view of the high mortality rate from this disease. To date, three vaccine platforms have been most used: adenoviral vector, inactivated, and mRNA. There is some concern about the side effects that occur after vaccination. Whether modern anti-coronavirus vaccines can raise the safety threshold, only time will answer. It is obvious that the pandemic will end, but the virus will remain in the human population, leaving behind invaluable experience and tens of millions of victims. This article is based on search retrieves in research articles devoted to COVID-19 mainly published in 2020-2021 and examines the possible consequences of the worldwide vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 and suggests that, while anti-coronavirus vaccines will not magically transport humanity to a non-pandemic world, they may greatly reduce the number of victims of the pandemic and help us learn how to live with COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- V V Oberemok
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Biotechnologies, V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, Simferopol, Crimea.
- Department of DNA Technologies of Engineering Center, V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, Simferopol, Crimea.
| | - O A Andreeva
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Biotechnologies, V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, Simferopol, Crimea
- Department of DNA Technologies of Engineering Center, V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, Simferopol, Crimea
| | - K V Laikova
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Biotechnologies, V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, Simferopol, Crimea
- Department of DNA Technologies of Engineering Center, V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, Simferopol, Crimea
| | - I A Novikov
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Biotechnologies, V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, Simferopol, Crimea
| | - Y V Puzanova
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Biotechnologies, V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, Simferopol, Crimea
- Department of DNA Technologies of Engineering Center, V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, Simferopol, Crimea
| | - A V Kubyshkin
- Department of DNA Technologies of Engineering Center, V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, Simferopol, Crimea
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14
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Bhosle SM, Tran JP, Yu S, Geiger J, Jackson JD, Crozier I, Crane A, Wada J, Warren TK, Kuhn JH, Worwa G. Duplex One-Step RT-qPCR Assays for Simultaneous Detection of Genomic and Subgenomic RNAs of SARS-CoV-2 Variants. Viruses 2022; 14:1066. [PMID: 35632807 PMCID: PMC9143037 DOI: 10.3390/v14051066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
A hallmark of severe acute respiratory syndrome virus (SARS-CoV-2) replication is the discontinuous transcription of open reading frames (ORFs) encoding structural virus proteins. Real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) assays in previous publications used either single or multiplex assays for SARS-CoV-2 genomic RNA detection and a singleplex approach for subgenomic RNA detection. Although multiplex approaches often target multiple genomic RNA segments, an assay that concurrently detects genomic and subgenomic targets has been lacking. To bridge this gap, we developed two duplex one-step RT-qPCR assays that detect SARS-CoV-2 genomic ORF1a and either subgenomic spike or subgenomic ORF3a RNAs. All primers and probes for our assays were designed to bind to variants of SARS-CoV-2. In this study, our assays successfully detected SARS-CoV-2 Washington strain and delta variant isolates at various time points during the course of live virus infection in vitro. The ability to quantify subgenomic SARS-CoV-2 RNA is important, as it may indicate the presence of active replication, particularly in samples collected longitudinally. Furthermore, specific detection of genomic and subgenomic RNAs simultaneously in a single reaction increases assay efficiency, potentially leading to expedited lucidity about viral replication and pathogenesis of any variant of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sushma M. Bhosle
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (S.M.B.); (J.P.T.); (S.Y.); (J.G.); (J.D.J.); (A.C.); (J.W.); (T.K.W.)
| | - Julie P. Tran
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (S.M.B.); (J.P.T.); (S.Y.); (J.G.); (J.D.J.); (A.C.); (J.W.); (T.K.W.)
| | - Shuiqing Yu
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (S.M.B.); (J.P.T.); (S.Y.); (J.G.); (J.D.J.); (A.C.); (J.W.); (T.K.W.)
| | - Jillian Geiger
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (S.M.B.); (J.P.T.); (S.Y.); (J.G.); (J.D.J.); (A.C.); (J.W.); (T.K.W.)
| | - Jennifer D. Jackson
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (S.M.B.); (J.P.T.); (S.Y.); (J.G.); (J.D.J.); (A.C.); (J.W.); (T.K.W.)
| | - Ian Crozier
- Clinical Monitoring Research Program Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21701, USA;
| | - Anya Crane
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (S.M.B.); (J.P.T.); (S.Y.); (J.G.); (J.D.J.); (A.C.); (J.W.); (T.K.W.)
| | - Jiro Wada
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (S.M.B.); (J.P.T.); (S.Y.); (J.G.); (J.D.J.); (A.C.); (J.W.); (T.K.W.)
| | - Travis K. Warren
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (S.M.B.); (J.P.T.); (S.Y.); (J.G.); (J.D.J.); (A.C.); (J.W.); (T.K.W.)
| | - Jens H. Kuhn
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (S.M.B.); (J.P.T.); (S.Y.); (J.G.); (J.D.J.); (A.C.); (J.W.); (T.K.W.)
| | - Gabriella Worwa
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (S.M.B.); (J.P.T.); (S.Y.); (J.G.); (J.D.J.); (A.C.); (J.W.); (T.K.W.)
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15
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Long S. In pursuit of sensitivity: Lessons learned from viral nucleic acid detection and quantification on the Raindance ddPCR platform. Methods 2022; 201:82-95. [PMID: 33839286 PMCID: PMC8501152 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2021.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensitive PCR detection of viral nucleic acids plays a critical role in infectious disease research, diagnosis and monitoring. In the context of SARS-CoV-2 detection, recent reports indicate that digital PCR-based tests are significantly more sensitive than traditional qPCR tests. Numerous factors can influence digital PCR reaction sensitivity. In this review, using a model for human HIV infection and the Raindance ddPCR platform as an example, we describe technical aspects that contribute to sensitive viral signal detection in DNA and RNA from tissue samples, which often harbor viral reservoirs and serve as better predictors of disease outcome and indicators of treatment efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Long
- AIDS and Cancer Virus Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, United States.
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16
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Long S, Berkemeier B. Ultrasensitive detection and quantification of viral nucleic acids with Raindance droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). Methods 2022; 201:49-64. [PMID: 33957204 PMCID: PMC8563494 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2021.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensitive detection of viral nucleic acids is critically important for diagnosis and monitoring of the progression of infectious diseases such as those caused by SARS-CoV2, HIV-1, and other viruses. In HIV-1 infection cases, assessing the efficacy of treatment interventions that are superimposed on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has benefited tremendously from the development of sensitive HIV-1 DNA and RNA quantitation assays. Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection of Rhesus macaques is similar in many key aspects to human HIV-1 infection and consequently this non-human primate (NHP) model has and continues to prove instrumental in evaluating HIV prevention, treatment and eradication approaches. Cell and tissue associated HIV-1 viral nucleic acids have been found to serve as useful predictors of disease outcome and indicators of treatment efficacy, highlighting the value of and the need for sensitive detection of viruses in cells/tissues from infected individuals or animal models. However, viral nucleic acid detection and quantitation in such sample sources can often be complicated by high nucleic acid input (that is required to detect ultralow level viruses in, for example, cure research) or inhibitors, leading to reduced detection sensitivity and under-quantification, and confounded result interpretation. Here, we present a step-by-step procedure to quantitatively recover cell/tissue associated viral DNA and RNA, using SIV-infected Rhesus macaque cells and tissues as model systems, and subsequently quantify the viral DNA and RNA with an ultrasensitive SIV droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assay and reverse transcription ddPCR (RT-ddPCR) assay, respectively, on the Raindance ddPCR platform. The procedure can be readily adapted for a broad range of applications where highly sensitive nucleic acid detection and quantitation are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Long
- AIDS and Cancer Virus Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, United States.
| | - Brian Berkemeier
- AIDS and Cancer Virus Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, United States
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17
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Van Poelvoorde LAE, Gand M, Fraiture MA, De Keersmaecker SCJ, Verhaegen B, Van Hoorde K, Cay AB, Balmelle N, Herman P, Roosens N. Strategy to Develop and Evaluate a Multiplex RT-ddPCR in Response to SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Evolution. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2021; 43:1937-1949. [PMID: 34889894 PMCID: PMC8928932 DOI: 10.3390/cimb43030134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The worldwide emergence and spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) since 2019 has highlighted the importance of rapid and reliable diagnostic testing to prevent and control the viral transmission. However, inaccurate results may occur due to false negatives (FN) caused by polymorphisms or point mutations related to the virus evolution and compromise the accuracy of the diagnostic tests. Therefore, PCR-based SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics should be evaluated and evolve together with the rapidly increasing number of new variants appearing around the world. However, even by using a large collection of samples, laboratories are not able to test a representative collection of samples that deals with the same level of diversity that is continuously evolving worldwide. In the present study, we proposed a methodology based on an in silico and in vitro analysis. First, we used all information offered by available whole-genome sequencing data for SARS-CoV-2 for the selection of the two PCR assays targeting two different regions in the genome, and to monitor the possible impact of virus evolution on the specificity of the primers and probes of the PCR assays during and after the development of the assays. Besides this first essential in silico evaluation, a minimal set of testing was proposed to generate experimental evidence on the method performance, such as specificity, sensitivity and applicability. Therefore, a duplex reverse-transcription droplet digital PCR (RT-ddPCR) method was evaluated in silico by using 154 489 whole-genome sequences of SARS-CoV-2 strains that were representative for the circulating strains around the world. The RT-ddPCR platform was selected as it presented several advantages to detect and quantify SARS-CoV-2 RNA in clinical samples and wastewater. Next, the assays were successfully experimentally evaluated for their sensitivity and specificity. A preliminary evaluation of the applicability of the developed method was performed using both clinical and wastewater samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A. E. Van Poelvoorde
- Transversal Activities in Applied Genomics, Sciensano, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; (L.A.E.V.P.); (M.G.); (M.-A.F.); (S.C.J.D.K.)
| | - Mathieu Gand
- Transversal Activities in Applied Genomics, Sciensano, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; (L.A.E.V.P.); (M.G.); (M.-A.F.); (S.C.J.D.K.)
| | - Marie-Alice Fraiture
- Transversal Activities in Applied Genomics, Sciensano, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; (L.A.E.V.P.); (M.G.); (M.-A.F.); (S.C.J.D.K.)
| | - Sigrid C. J. De Keersmaecker
- Transversal Activities in Applied Genomics, Sciensano, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; (L.A.E.V.P.); (M.G.); (M.-A.F.); (S.C.J.D.K.)
| | - Bavo Verhaegen
- Food Pathogens, Sciensano, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; (B.V.); (K.V.H.)
| | | | - Ann Brigitte Cay
- Enzootic, Vector-Borne and Bee Diseases, Sciensano, 1180 Brussels, Belgium; (A.B.C.); (N.B.)
| | - Nadège Balmelle
- Enzootic, Vector-Borne and Bee Diseases, Sciensano, 1180 Brussels, Belgium; (A.B.C.); (N.B.)
| | - Philippe Herman
- Expertise and Service Provision, Sciensano, 1050 Brussels, Belgium;
| | - Nancy Roosens
- Transversal Activities in Applied Genomics, Sciensano, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; (L.A.E.V.P.); (M.G.); (M.-A.F.); (S.C.J.D.K.)
- Correspondence:
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18
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Viral culture confirmed SARS-CoV-2 subgenomic RNA value as a good surrogate marker of infectivity. J Clin Microbiol 2021; 60:e0160921. [PMID: 34669457 PMCID: PMC8769718 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.01609-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Determining SARS-CoV-2 viral infectivity is crucial for patient clinical assessment and isolation decisions. We assessed subgenomic RNA (sgRNA) as a surrogate marker of SARS-CoV-2 infectivity in SARS-CoV-2-positive reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) respiratory samples (n = 105) in comparison with viral culture as the reference standard for virus replication. sgRNA and viral isolation results were concordant in 99/105 cases (94%), indicating highly significant agreement between the two techniques (Cohen’s kappa coefficient 0.88, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.78 to 0.97, P < 0.001). sgRNA RT-PCR showed a sensitivity of 97% and a positive predictive value of 94% to detect replication-competent virus, further supporting sgRNA as a surrogate marker of SARS-CoV-2 infectivity. sgRNA RT-PCR is an accurate, rapid, and affordable technique that can overcome culture and cycle threshold (CT) value limitations and be routinely implemented in hospital laboratories to detect viral infectivity, which is essential for optimizing patient monitoring, the efficacy of treatments/vaccines, and work reincorporation policies, as well as for safely shortening isolation precautions.
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19
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Tracking the Transcription Kinetic of SARS-CoV-2 in Human Cells by Reverse Transcription-Droplet Digital PCR. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10101274. [PMID: 34684223 PMCID: PMC8538813 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10101274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Viral transcription is an essential step of SARS-CoV-2 infection after invasion into the target cells. Antiviral drugs such as remdesivir, which is used to treat COVID-19 patients, targets the viral RNA synthesis. Understanding the mechanism of viral transcription may help to develop new therapeutic treatment by perturbing virus replication. In this study, we established 28 ddPCR assays and designed specific primers/probe sets to detect the RNA levels of 15 NSP, 9 ORF, and 4 structural genes of SARS-CoV-2. The transcriptional kinetics of these viral genes were determined longitudinally from the beginning of infection to 12 h postinfection in Caco-2 cells. We found that SARS-CoV-2 takes around 6 h to hijack the cells before the initiation of viral transcription process in human cells. Our results may contribute to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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20
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Long S. SARS-CoV-2 Subgenomic RNAs: Characterization, Utility, and Perspectives. Viruses 2021; 13:v13101923. [PMID: 34696353 PMCID: PMC8539008 DOI: 10.3390/v13101923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2, the etiologic agent at the root of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, harbors a large RNA genome from which a tiered ensemble of subgenomic RNAs (sgRNAs) is generated. Comprehensive definition and investigation of these RNA products are important for understanding SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis. This review summarizes the recent progress on SARS-CoV-2 sgRNA identification, characterization, and application as a viral replication marker. The significance of these findings and potential future research areas of interest are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Long
- Independent Researcher, Clarksburg, MD 20871, USA
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21
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Can Testing Predict SARS-CoV-2 Infectivity? The Potential for Certain Methods to be a Surrogate for Replication-Competent Virus. J Clin Microbiol 2021; 59:e0046921. [PMID: 34346713 PMCID: PMC8525553 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.00469-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, molecular methods (e.g., real-time PCR) have been the primary means of diagnosing the disease. It is now well established that molecular tests can continue to detect SARS-CoV-2 genomic RNA for weeks or months following the resolution of clinical illness. This has prompted public health agencies to recommend a symptom- and/or time-based strategy for discontinuation of isolation precautions, which, for hospitalized patients, results in significant use of personal protective equipment. Due to the inability of current molecular diagnostic assays to differentiate between the presence of remnant viral RNA (i.e., noninfectious) and replication-competent (i.e., infectious) virus, there has been interest in determining whether laboratory tests can be used to predict an individual’s likelihood of transmitting the virus to others. This review will highlight what is currently known about the potential for existing assays, such as real-time PCR and antigen tests, to predict active viral infection. In addition, data on the performance of new methods, such as molecular tests targeting viral RNA intermediates (e.g., subgenomic RNA), will be discussed.
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